Guide to Thesis Preparation - Putra Business School€¦ · F2 Layout of a Chapter (Main headings...

Guide to Thesis Preparation


Nurturing Human Leaders


Published by Putra Business School 43400 UPM, Serdang Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia. Tel: (603) 97691790/1792. Fax: (60) 97691791. https://putrabusinessschool.edu.my/

This guide serves as the ‘in-house style’ for all Putra Business School theses and has been adopted from UPM’s guide book


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page PREFACE 1

CHAPTER

1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 2

1.1 Introduction 2

1.2 Language 2

1.3 Technical specifications 2

1.3.1 Thesis Title 2 1.3.2 Number of Pages 2 1.3.3 Page Layout 2

1.3.4 Type of Paper 2

1.3.5 Typeface and Font Size 3 1.3.6 Margins 3 1.3.7 Spacing 3

1.3.8 Pagination 3 1.3.9 Binding 4

1.4 Submission 4

2 THESIS FORMAT 6

2.1 Title Page 6 2.2 Copyright Page 7

2.3 Abstract 8

2.4 Acknowledgement 8

2.5 Declaration Form 8 2.6 Table of Contents 8 2.7 List of Tables 8 2.8 List of Figures 8

2.9 List of Abbreviations/ Notations/ Glossary of 9

Terms 9

2.10 Body 9

2.10.1 Chapter Layout 9 2.10.2 Tables 12 2.10.3 Figures 12 2.10.4 Equations 13

2.10.5 Citations 13

2.10.6 Headers and Footers 13


2.11 References 13

2.12 Policy on Direct Quotations 13

2.13 Format for Quotations 13

2.14.1 Direct Quotations 14

2.14.2 Indirect Quotations 15

2.14 Appendices 15

2.15 Biodata of the Student 15 2.16 List of Publications 16

3 PLAGIARISM 17

4 USE OF AN EDITORIAL SERVICE 19

APPENDICES 19

A Example of the Spine and Cover of a Thesis 21

B1 Title Page 22

B2 Guidelines for Determining a Suitable Title for a Thesis 23

B3 Copyright Page 24

C Format of Abstract 25

D Declaration Form 26

E1 Table of Contents (Layout Style 1): Main headings and 28

subheadings are not numbered


subheadings are numbered


subheadings are not numbered


subheadings are numbered

F1 Layout of a Chapter (Main headings and subheadings 36

are not numbered)

F2 Layout of a Chapter (Main headings and subheadings 37

are numbered)

G1 Sample of a Table (without vertical lines) 38

G2 Sample of a Table (with vertical lines) 39

H Samples of Figures 40

J1 Examples of Reference Format 42

J2 Samples of Commonly Used Reference Formats 45

RECOMMENDED READING LIST 52


PREFACE

The culmination of a postgraduate student’s journey is seen in the completion of

their research work in the form of a thesis. The thesis is an evidence of the

student’s knowledge and competence in their area of specialisation. The thesis is

the mark of the student’s achievement as a postgraduate student and denotes the

student’s entry into the world of academia.

Whilst originality is very much appreciated in a thesis, the thesis is still bound by

certain academic conventions and rules, which must be observed. It is therefore

important that the student has knowledge of these conventions and rules, as

required by academia at large, and also as stipulated by the university. This book

is a reference and guide to these conventions and rules, intended to help

students in ensuring that they conform to formats which fulfill the requirements of

the university. The book contains both general and specific guidelines in

preparing for the final submission of the thesis, including clear instructions on

matters relating to format, length, footnotes, tables and appendices,

bibliography/references, citation and referencing styles, plagiarism, copyright and

publication prior to submission, the languages required for abstracts, and

permissible languages.

In improving the general recognisability and image quality of PBS theses, the

PBS logo is now required on the spine and cover of the thesis, as shown in

Appendix A and Appendix B1. For the alternative format, additional statements

have been included in the last paragraphs of Page 50 and Page 53.

Today’s easy access to materials through the Internet has created an increasing

need for awareness of issues to do with the upholding of academic integrity. For

this purpose, a chapter on plagiarism (Chapter 4) is included, with a special focus

on the issue of copying the work of others. The chapter contains clear warning of

the strict prohibition on unethical practices unacceptable in academia, that of

copying the work of others without acknowledgement, and/or claiming it as one’s

own. Putra Business School’s stand on this is made very clear: using someone

else’s data as one’s own without permission and/or acknowledgment constitutes

an act of plagiarism. This act puts the student at risk of termination of candidature.

This guide applies to all Putra Business School theses and has been adapted from UPM’s guide book.

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CHAPTER 1

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1.1 Introduction This guide is intended to assist the graduate students of Putra Business School

(henceforth the University) in the preparation of their theses in terms of formatting

and writing conventions. Students should refer closely to this guide and seek

clarification with the staff of the Thesis Unit of the Learning Liaison Department,

Putra Business School (PBS) on specific matters relating to the preparation of

their thesis.

1.2 Language The thesis should be written in English. Language use should be consistent

throughout the thesis, especially in terms of spelling (American or British). The

Roman alphabet should be used unless otherwise required by the discipline.

1.3 Technical Specifications The thesis must only be printed on a letter-quality or laser printer. Only the

original copy of a thesis or good and clean photocopies will be accepted. Copies

with correcting fluid will not be accepted.

1.3.1 Thesis Title The title of the thesis should not exceed 20 words (refer to Appendix B2).

1.3.2 Number of Pages The number of pages is dependent on the programme of study and should not exceed 150 pages for a Master’s thesis, and 240 pages for a PhD thesis (excluding appendices and references). Students must obtain written permission from the PBS before submitting a thesis longer than the prescribed length. Students should provide strong justifications to support their request.

1.3.3 Page Layout The text should be presented in the portrait layout. The landscape layout may be

used for figures and tables.

1.3.4 Type of Paper White simile A4 size (210mm x 297mm) paper (80g) or paper of equivalent quality

should be used. Students must include an extra blank sheet for the front and back

of the thesis. Photocopies of the thesis must be on similar quality paper.

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1.3.5 Typeface and Font Size The text of the thesis, including headings and page numbers, must be produced

with the same font (Times New Roman) or typeface. The font size should be 12-

point and should not be scripted or italicised except for scientific names and terms

in a different language. Bold print may be used for headings. Text in tables should

be 10-point and notes below tables and sources should be 8-point.

1.3.6 Margins The left margin should be at least 40 mm, and the right, top and bottom margins

at least 25 mm. Margin specifications are meant to facilitate binding and trimming.

All information (text headings, footnotes, and figures), including page numbers,

must be within the text area as demarcated by the dotted lines shown on this

page.

1.3.7 Spacing The thesis should be double-spaced, with four spaces between paragraphs and

sections. The following, however, should be single-spaced:

i. Endnotes (if absolutely necessary); ii. Quotations of three lines or more, indented and set in a block;

iii. References or bibliography (except between entries); iv. Multi-line captions (tables, figures); v. Appendices, such as questionnaires, letters; and

vi. Headings or subheadings.

1.3.8 Pagination All pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the thesis, including

pages containing tables, figures and appendices. Page numbers should be

centred either centrally or right flushed at the bottom margins. Page numbers

should appear by themselves and should not be placed in brackets, be

hyphenated or be accompanied by decorative images. Text, tables and figures

should be printed on one (1) side of each sheet only.

Preliminary pages preceding Chapter 1 must be numbered in lowercase Roman

numerals (i, ii, iii etc). The title page should not be numbered although it is

counted as page i. Page 1 is the first page of the Introduction (Chapter 1) but is

not numbered.

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1.3.9 Binding Before making the required number of copies and binding the thesis, ensure that

all University requirements have been met and necessary signatures have been

obtained. Check that all pages are in the correct order. The thesis should be

bound with a maroon (PhD) or grey (MSc) hard cover and the binding should be

of a fixed kind in which pages are permanently secured. The following are

requirements for the front cover.

A. Thesis Spine (refer to Appendix A for details) The spine must be following the B5 size format, lettered in gold-using a 20-point

font and must contain the following:

i. Name of student; ii. Degree for which the study is submitted; and

iii. Year of submission. iv. Title of thesis (short title) B. Front Cover

The front cover must be entirely lettered in gold using 18-point block font and

contain the following:

i. PBS Logo; ii. Title of thesis;

iii. Name of student; iv. Degree; v. Name of the university; and

vi. Year of submission.

1.4 Submission Students intending to submit a thesis must do the following:

i. Submit the prescribed form LLD023(HG) Notice of Thesis Submission

(Notice of intention to submit a thesis for examination) to PBS three

months before submission, and; ii. Submit one hard copy for PBS Internal Thesis Editorial Review Committee

to review one month after submission of LLD023 (HG) form – emphasis on the thesis to be sent for Turnitin process and proof reading.

iii. Submit five (5) for PhD or four (4) for MSc soft-bound copies of the thesis with a completed form LLD024HG(a) Thesis Submission for Oral Examination (Viva Voce); or in the case of reviva, form LLD024HG(b) Thesis Resubmission for Oral Examination (Viva Voce) is to be used and

iv. Submit one soft bound copy of the corrected thesis, the list of corrections made, one copy of the thesis abstract, forms LLD025HG(a) Submission of Thesis After Final Oral Examination (Viva Voce), and FIN011 Clearance Form within

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PhD

3 months if the thesis is accepted with minor modifications; or

6 months if the thesis is accepted with major modifications after the

successful defence of the thesis.

12 months if the thesis is rejected/ resubmission (fail).

MSc

3 months if the thesis is accepted with minor modifications; or

6 months if the thesis is accepted with major modifications after the successful defence of the thesis.

9 months if the thesis is rejected/ resubmission (fail).

Students should then submit the following to PBS after receiving the letter

of approval from senate:

i. Four (4) (PhD) or three (3) (MSc), copies of the thesis in hard cover ii. Two (2) softcopies of the thesis on CD. iii. Two (2) passport size photos.

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CHAPTER 2

THESIS FORMAT

A thesis generally consists of three main parts: preliminary pages; text or main

body (usually divided into chapters and sections), and supporting pages,

containing references/bibliography, appendices, and biodata of the student. If

applicable, a list of publications resulting from the study carried out during the

period of candidature where the student is the first or principal author should be

inserted after the student’s biodata page. Refer to Appendix F for samples as

guidelines.

The preliminary pages include a title page, dedication, abstracts in English and

Bahasa Melayu, acknowledgements, approval sheets, declaration form, table of

contents, and lists of tables, figures and abbreviations.

The typical layout of a thesis is shown in Table 1. The entire thesis should be

bound in a single volume. However, in cases when appendices are particularly

long, the thesis may be bound in two volumes. In such cases, the second volume

should contain the appendices only, and shall begin its pagination with page 1.

2.1 Title Page The title page should include the following:

i. PBS logo ii. full title of thesis;

iii. full name of student; iv. degree for which the thesis is submitted; v. name of the university; and

vi. month and year of submission.

See Appendix B1 for the layout of the title page. The title should describe the

content of the thesis accurately and concisely, omitting words such as ‘An

Investigation of’, ‘An Analysis of’, or ‘A Study of’, which are redundant.

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All theses are investigations, analyses or studies of one kind or another. For a

more detailed guide to determining a suitable thesis title, see Appendix B2.

Table 1. A Typical Layout of a Thesis

No. Items Remarks

1 Blank Page -

2 Title Page Not to be paginated but counted as i. See

Section 2.1

3 Copyright page See Section 2.2

3 Dedications (if any) -

4 Abstract See Section 2.3

5 Acknowledgement See Section 2.4

6 Approval Sheets See Section 2.5

7 Declaration Form See Section 2.6

8 Table of Contents See Section 2.7

19 List of Tables See Section 2.8

10 List of Figures See Section 2.9

11 List of Abbreviations/ See Section 2.10

Notations/Glossary of

Terms

12 Body of Thesis Numbered consecutively from 1 onwards.

See Section 2.10

13 References Continue with the consecutive numbering.

See Section 2.11

14 Appendices See Section 2.12

15 Biodata of the Student See Section 2.13

16 List of Publications See Section 2.14

17 Blank Page -

2.2 Copyright Page Please note that a copyright page must be included immediately following the

title page of the thesis, and before the dedication. For the full text of the

copyright notice, see Appendix B3.

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2.3 Abstract The abstract is a digest of the entire thesis and should be given the same careful

attention as the main text. It should not include any references. Abbreviations or

acronyms must be preceded by the full terms at the first use. An abstract should

be between 300 and 500 words. It includes a brief statement of the problem and

objectives of the study, a concise description of the research method and design,

a summary of the major findings including their significance, and conclusion.

The abstract should be written in both English and Bahasa Melayu. The version

to appear first should be of the same language of the thesis. The format of

abstract heading is shown in Appendices C. Even though a thesis may have been

written in English, the abstract in Bahasa Melayu must also reach an acceptable

scholarly standard. Common pitfalls such as spelling errors, incorrect usage of

prepositions and prefixes (e.g. di, ke) should be avoided. Scientific terms must be

used accurately and consistently.

2.4 Acknowledgement An acknowledgement is a written expressions of appreciation for guidance and

assistance received from individuals and institutions.

2.5 Declaration Form The declaration form should be written as shown in Appendices D.

2.6 Table of Contents The Table of Contents lists in sequence all relevant subdivisions of the thesis with

their corresponding page numbers (see Appendices E1-E4).

2.7 List of Tables The list shows the exact titles or captions of all tables in the text and

appendices, together with the starting page number of each table, and must be

listed in sequence. If the whole thesis contains only one or two tables, then a List

of Tables is not necessary.

2.8 List of Figures Figures include graphs, maps, charts, engineering drawings, photographs

(plates), sketches, printed images, and any other form of illustration that is not a

table. The exact titles or captions and their corresponding page numbers must

be listed in sequence. Figures, including any in the appendices, should be

numbered consecutively throughout the thesis. If the whole thesis contains only

one or two figures, then a list of figures is not necessary.

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2.9 List of Abbreviations/Notations/Glossary of Terms If abbreviations and acronyms are used in the thesis, they should be explained in

a List of Abbreviations, even though the full names are given at first use. This list

should be the last item in the preliminary section. It serves as a ready reference

to readers not familiar with the abbreviations used in the thesis. Universally

recognised scientific symbols (such as CO2, cm, mm, kg, ha) need not be listed.

2.10 Body The body of a thesis normally consists of sections which are organised as

chapters. A chapter may be divided into major sections and subsections. Main or

primary headings within chapters are to be centred while sub-headings are left

justified. Tertiary headings are indented five (5) spaces and are not listed in the

Table of Contents.

The main sections and subsections of a chapter may be identified by numbers

where the former are regarded as being the first level. For example, Sections 2.1

and 2.2 would denote two consecutive main sections in Chapter 2, and Sections

3.1 and 3.2 would denote two consecutive main sections in Chapter 3. A

subsection would be found in a major section of a chapter, and is regarded as the

second level. It should be numbered 2.1.1., 2.1.2 etc. The numbering style should

be consistent throughout the thesis and should be limited to 4 levels. Examples of

how main sections and subsections are organised are listed in Appendices E1

and E2.

Placements for tables and figures are as described above in Sections 2.7 and

2.8. Students are advised to discuss the usage of tables and figures with their

supervisor before their inclusion in the thesis, as different disciplines have

different preferences.

2.10.1 Chapter Layout There are three (3) ways to format the chapters of a thesis. Two are described in

this chapter, and the third in Chapter 3. The first style (see below) is the most

common of the three. Style 2 should be considered only when each research

chapter, although related, represents a study that may stand on its own, and where the Methodology section is sufficiently different from the other research

chapters. The body of a thesis in the field of Mathematics may be organised in a

similar way to Style 2, with the following exceptions:

i. Combine Chapters 1 and 2 if necessary ii. Replace `Methodology’ with `Problem Statement’ in the research chapters

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Style 1 (See Appendices E1)

Chapter Item 1 Introduction (including objectives)

2 Literature Review

3 Methodology 4 Results/Findings* 5 Discussion*

6 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations for

Future Research

Style 2 (See Appendices E2)

Chapter Item

1 Introduction (including objectives). The

relationship between the research chapters should

also be explained in this chapter 2 Literature Review

#3–5 Research chapters. Each chapter represents a separate

study that has its own Introduction (including

objectives), Methodology, Results/Findings,*

Discussion,* and Conclusion

6 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations for

Future Research *Results/Findings may be combined with Discussion in a single chapter for

Style 1, or as a sub-heading within a research chapter for Style 2. #More of these

chapters may be added if necessary

Introduction This chapter introduces the subject matter and problem(s) being studied, and

indicates its importance and validity. It sets out the hypotheses to be tested and

research objectives to be attained. In some theses, usually those in Mathematics,

this section may be combined with the literature review. It is important to remember

that the research objectives stated in the thesis should match the

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findings of the study. Failing to do so will result in a verdict of `Re-submission of

Thesis’ by the Thesis Examination Committee, and a recommendation to conduct

additional studies so that the stated objectives are met.

Literature Review This section encompasses a critical and comprehensive review of the literature

related to the topic of thesis. It is meant to act as a base for the experimental and

analytical sections of the thesis. Literature selected must be up to date, and be

analysed and synthesised logically. It is not simply a summary of works of

different authors. The review should give the gist of each book or pertinent

findings of a journal article, explain how it relates to the topic and show why it is

not sufficient to answer the research questions. For example, the study being

reviewed uses a Japanese sample, while the research is examining the situation

in Malaysia. Textbook materials on basic principles or theories should be kept to a

minimum.

Methodology This section varies from thesis to thesis depending on the discipline of study, and

may be absent in theoretical theses. It contains a description and justification of

the materials, theoretical approaches, experimental designs and methods

(including statistical analysis) used to achieve the stated objectives of the study

undertaken. In the social sciences, a conceptual framework will need to be

included. In engineering and in the pure and applied sciences, this may include,

but is not limited to, a description of the methodology, theoretical development,

fundamental philosophical foundation, experimental design and standard

procedure description. The materials and methods used in the study should be

described in detail and concisely such that a reader would be able to replicate the

experiment solely with the information contained in this section. References must

be cited for published protocols or methods.

Results/Findings This section of the thesis may also be combined with the Discussion section

because the content tends to be related. This section may be broken down into

subsections. The section presents a complete account of the results obtained in

the study in the form of text, figures or tables so that the key information is

highlighted. The same set of results or data should not be presented in more than

one format (e.g. either as a table or figure, but not both). When results are placed

in one chapter, sub-headings may be used to demarcate the different aspects of

the study.

Discussion This section bridges the data presented or described in the preceding section, and contains the analyses or interpretations of the results obtained, and the

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conclusions drawn. Students should discuss these results in relation to the

hypotheses or objectives set out in the introduction, and how they fit into the

existing or current body of knowledge. The significance and implications of the

main findings should be made clear.

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations for Future Studies This chapter is important since it illustrates the significance of the study and

stresses the findings upon which a conclusion or conclusions are drawn in line

with the objectives set, acknowledges the limitations, and suggests further

research which may be carried out on the topic.

2.10.2 Tables Ensure that all tables shown in the thesis, including those in the Appendices, are

referred to in the text. Tables should be numbered with Arabic numerals

throughout the thesis (including both text and appendices) by chapter, e.g. Table

1.1, Table 1.2 and Table 1.3 to indicate they belong to Chapter 1, Table 2.1,

Table 2.2 and Table 2.3 to Chapter 2, and so on.

A table should be on the page following the first reference to it or, if this is not practical

as soon as possible in the following pages. When a large table is placed in landscape

orientation, the top of the table should be at the binding edge. The table number, title

and caption should be single-spaced and placed above the table (Appendices G1-2).

The style used must be consistent throughout the thesis.

Table sources and notes should be placed directly below the table. If a table has

been adapted from a source, indicate using “Adapted from…“ instead of “Source: ...”. Avoid the use of vertical lines to separate columns within a table unless

absolutely necessary.

2.10.3 Figures As with tables, ensure that each figure is referred to in the text. Figures include

maps, charts, graphs, diagrams. They are numbered consecutively or according

to the chapter throughout the thesis, including those in the Appendices. The figure

number, title and caption should be single-spaced and placed below the figure

using Arabic numerals and lowercase, except for proper nouns and the first letters

of principal words (Appendix I). Figures should be inserted as soon as possible

after their first mention in the text. The style used must be consistent throughout

the thesis.

If a figure occupies an entire page, the caption may be typed on the left-hand

page (reverse side blank) facing the figure.. The top of a figure drawn in

landscape format should be aligned to the binding edge. The figure number, title

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and caption should be typed parallel to the orientation of the figure. Figures

should conform to standard margin requirements.

2.10.4 Equations All equations are considered as text. If detailed derivation is needed, it is to be

placed in an appendix.

2.10.5 Citations Students are responsible for choosing a style of citation appropriate to the field

and using that style correctly and consistently. Students should consult their

respective supervisors for guidelines. The use of software for publishing and

managing citations and references is encouraged. At the end of the thesis, the

student must supply a list of references in alphabetical order by author, with

consistent punctuation. See Appendices H1-2 for sample citations.

2.10.6 Headers and Footers The use of headers and footers is not allowed.

2.11 References The References section contains the list of works cited in the thesis. Students

should not cite as references articles published from the studies that they

themselves conducted during their candidature. The reference style to be used is the American Psychological Association (APA).

Students should check for the latest versions of different reference styles. See

Appendices H1-2 for samples of commonly used reference styles.

2.12 Policy on Direct Quotations Direct quotations must be kept to a minimum except in some fields such as

literature. Some examiners disallow quotations of over 5 lines. If, there is a need

to use a set of recommendations from a report, these should be paraphrased

succinctly. Also provide the original full text in the appendix.

2.13 Format for Quotations Both direct and indirect quotations must be acknowledged. The penalties for

quoting without acknowledgment are severe, as is explained in the section on

plagiarism. In the text, authors’ surnames are used. The list of references is

ordered by surname. For most names, this means the last name is first.

Exceptions include Chinese names, (in which the family name is already first and

so stays first), and Malay names (in which the whole name is given as there is no

equivalent to a family name). For example, Mary MacLaren would become

MacLaren in the text and MacLaren, Mary or MacLaren, M in the list of

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references; Wong Siew Lan would be Wong in the text, and stays Wong Siew Lan

or Wong, S.L. in the list of references while Aminah Aris would be either Aminah

Aris, Aminah, A or Aris, A, in both text and references. When in doubt about the

format for citing a reference by a Chinese or Malay author, seek the advice of

your supervisors.

2.13.1 Direct Quotations Direct quotations less than three lines in length can be indicated using double

quotations marks. If the length of the quotation is three full lines or more, use

indentation and include page numbers. Indented quotations should be single-

spaced with no quotation marks.

Example of a direct quotation that is less than a sentence and is worked smoothly

into your text:

As Hattersley and McJannet (2005, p.121) explain, feedback, both giving and

receiving, is an “essential” management skill.

Examples of direct quotations that are in themselves full sentence:

As Hattersley and McJannet (2005) state, “Giving and receiving feedback are

essential managerial skills” (p. 121).

If the name of the author or authors quoted does not open the sentence, it is

given at the end with the date and page number.

Many authors stress the importance of feedback because “giving and

receiving feedback are essential managerial skills” (Hattersley and McJannet,

2005, p. 121.)

Longer quotations are indented on both sides. Indenting shows that the text is

quoted so quotation marks are redundant.

In 1993, the Main Board was refurbished through the launch of four new

sectors (consumer products, construction, industrial products, and trading and

services), the introduction of a loans sector and the merging of the oil palm

and rubber sectors as the plantations sector, (Foong, 2004, p. 17).

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2.13.2 Indirect Quotations If ideas or information but not the wording of the original source are used, provide

the name and date of the publication, leaving other details for the reference list at

the end. For example:

Hattersley and McJannet (2005) explain the importance of giving feedback.

Or Feedback is extremely important (Hattersley and McJannet, 2005).

If general statements are being made, requiring the citation of several authorities,

these must be listed in chronological order, with a semicolon between each

source by putting the most recent authorities first.

Intercultural understanding is an important component in any international

transaction (McLaren, 2005; Varner and Beamer, 2003; Hofstede, 2001).

2.14 Appendices Information or data that is too detailed for the main body of the thesis may be

included as appendices. These are placed after the reference list. Appendices

include original data, summary, sideline or preliminary tests, tabulations, table that

contain data of lesser importance, very lengthy quotations, supporting, decisions,

forms and documents, computer printouts, detailed engineering drawings and

other pertinent documents. Appendix materials should be grouped by type, e.g.,

Appendix A: Questionnaire, Appendix B: Original data, Appendix C: Tables of

results.

Appendices must be paginated consecutively with the main text. If there are three

or less appendices, their details (such as number and titles) should be listed as

items in the Table of Contents. If there are more than three appendices, the Table

of Contents should include a List of Appendices with corresponding page

numbers. The list itself should come immediately after the List of Figures.

2.15 Biodata of the Student (maximum 300 words) This section is compulsory. It contains the student’s biographical information,

such as name, educational background, the degree that is being sought,

professional work experience (if any), and any other similar matters that may

interest the reader. The vita should be in essay form, rather than a mere résumé.

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2.16 List of Publications All publications (in journals and proceedings) that result from the study undertaken by

the student while under supervision and during their candidature, and for which the

student is the first or principal author, should be listed clearly and accurately. These

publications should not be used as references in the thesis.

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CHAPTER 3

PLAGIARISM

At research degree level, there are no excuses for plagiarism – research students are expected to know what plagiarism is and be able to manage their academic writing so as to avoid intentional or unintentional plagiarism. Plagiarism is taking the works of others and using them as if they were your own. Such works include:

i. Words or ideas from printed literature such as journal papers, magazine

articles, books, newspapers, web pages, computer programmes, etc.; ii. Published figures, tables, diagrams, illustrations, charts, maps, pictures or

other visual materials; and iii. Information from interviews, etc.

Plagiarism comes in three forms:

i. Copying full sentences or even paragraphs straight from the source as

though they are the student’s own work; and ii. Using the original wording from the source material without inverted commas

or indentation, even if the source is acknowledged. iii. Paraphrasing without acknowledgement.

Usually, a change in style alerts the reader to the possibility of plagiarism.

Examiners are likely to know the literature and recognise the plagiarism, but it is

also true that it sometimes goes by undetected. It is now possible to detect

plagiarism by simply searching a small string of words on the Internet.

Additionally, plagiarism-checking software programmes, such as Turnitin, are also

widely available. These programmes produce Originality Reports, which list the

percentage of similarity between the student’s words and the source. Even

excerpts with minimal alterations will be detected. Students should refer to forms

required for thesis proposal submission, viva examination and final thesis

submission to ensure that they do not exceed the maximum percentage of

similarity of their thesis which is 20% for both PhD and MSc programs.

Plagiarism is considered a form of theft, and is under no circumstances

acceptable in the world of scholarship. As such, if plagiarism is proven in a thesis

at the examination stage, the student will be subjected to disciplinary action which

may results in termination of candidature.

17


Avoid Plagiarism The key to avoiding plagiarism is to make sure credit is given where it is due

when incorporating another writer’s work. Students should do this even when the

original source is paraphrased or summarised. When quoting a published or

verbal statement, it must be identical to the original and must be attributed to the

original author. Always cite the authors whose published works or statements are

used in the thesis. The University’s stand on plagiarism is found in Part 61 of the

PBS Graduate Studies Rules (Revision 2016). The usage of materials such as

diagrams and figures which are available on the internet or published articles

without the permission of the copyright owners is an infringement of copyright and

is not allowed.

18


CHAPTER 4

USE OF AN EDITORIAL SERVICE

Students are highly recommended to employ professional editors to improve their

written thesis. This should be done before the thesis is sent for examination

(proposal defence, viva voce and final thesis submission). There is a possibility

that a badly written thesis can cause delay on the examination process to the

extent that the thesis will be returned back to student for corrections. However,

please be aware that some people who claim to be editors are not qualified, so

check carefully before engaging one. Supervisors cannot be held responsible for

the grammatical errors in the student’s thesis. Their main responsibility is to check

the content of the thesis, and not the language used. Upon submission of the final

thesis prior to binding, Putra Business School will browse through the thesis to

ensure that it conforms to the present Guideline. Putra Business School accepts

only theses that are free from basic errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.

19


APPENDICES

20


Appendix A

Example of the Spine and Cover of a Thesis

Note: The left, right, top and bottom margins should be at least 4 cm.

21

20-point gold-colored font)



Thesis title

Year


Appendix B1 Title Page

Note: The left margin should be at least 4.0 cm and the right, top

and bottom margins at least 2.5 cm.

22

Submission

20-point font)

20-point font)


Appendix B2 Guidelines for Determining a Suitable Title for a Thesis

________________________________________________________________________

Before submitting a thesis, students and members of their respective supervisory

committees are required to ensure that the title of the thesis is grammatically

correct and reflects the study undertaken. The following guidelines should also be

taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate title for the

thesis.

1. Ensure that important keywords are found in both the title and abstract of

the thesis.

2. Avoid the use of abbreviations and/or acronyms. Instead, use the full

terminology, unless the term is commonly used in the field of study (e.g. ESL,

DNA, PCR, GIS).

3. Avoid the use of a colon (:) or dash (-) e.g. `Bacillus subtilis amylase:

Purification and Characterisation’ or `Bacillus subtilis amylase - Purification

and Characterisation’. The title may be replaced with `Purification and Characterisation of Bacillus subtilis amylase’.

4. Ensure that when both the common and scientific names of an organism

(where applicable) are mentioned, the common name is stated first followed

by the scientific name (including variety if known) in parentheses.

5. Where possible, ensure that the title does not begin with “The…” e.g.,

“Effects of…” instead of “The Effects of…”

6. The title should not exceed 20 words.

23


Appendix B3 Copyright Page

________________________________________________________________________

Immediately following the title page, a copyright page must be included, which

contains the following text:

All material contained within the thesis, including without limitation text, logos,

icons, photographs and all other artwork, is copyright material of Putra

Business School unless otherwise stated. Use may be made of any material

contained within the thesis for non-commercial purposes from the copyright

holder. Commercial use of material may only be made with the express, prior,

written permission of Putra Business School.

Copyright © Putra Business School

24


Appendix C Format of Abstract

________________________________________________________________________

Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate of Putra Business School in fulfilment

of the requirement for the degree of (name of degree)

TITLE OF THESIS

By

NAME OF STUDENT

Month and Year of Submission

Chair: Name of Chairman of Supervisory Committee, PhD University: Name of University

The abstract is a digest of the entire thesis and should be given the same

consideration as the main text. It does not normally include any reference to the

literature. Abbreviations or acronyms must be preceded by the full term at the first

use.

An abstract should be between 300-500 words. It includes a brief statement of the

problem, a concise description of the research method and design, a summary of

major findings, including their significance or lack of it, and conclusions.

25


Appendix D Declaration Form

_______________________________________________________________________

Declaration by graduate student

I hereby confirm that:

this thesis is my original work;

quotations, illustrations and citations have been duly referenced;

this thesis has not been submitted previously or concurrently for any other

degree at any other institutions;

intellectual property from the thesis and copyright of thesis are fully-owned by

written permission must be obtained from supervisor and the office of Director Thesis Based Programme before thesis is published (in the form of written,

printed or in electronic form) including books, journals, modules, proceedings, popular writings, seminar papers, manuscripts, posters, reports, lecture notes,

learning modules or any other materials. there is no plagiarism or data falsification/fabrication in the thesis, and

scholarly integrity is upheld as according to the PUTRA Graduate Studies

Rules (Part 65). The thesis has undergone plagiarism detection software.

Signature: _______________________ Date: __________________

Name and Matric No.: _________________________________________

Or

Declaration by graduate students under jointly awarded or dual degree programme

I hereby confirm that:

this thesis is my original work;

quotations, illustrations and citations have been duly acknowledged; ownership of intellectual property from the thesis is as stipulated in the

Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).

permission from supervisor and the office of Director of Thesis-Based Programmes are required prior to publishing it (in the form of written, printed or in electronic form) including books, journals, modules, proceedings, popular

writings, seminar papers, manuscripts, posters, reports, lecture notes, learning modules or any other materials as stated in the Putra Business School (Graduate Studies Rules);


there is no plagiarism or data falsification/fabrication in the thesis, and scholarly integrity is upheld as according to the Putra Business School (Graduate Studies Rules). The thesis has undergone plagiarism detection

software.

Signature: _________________________ Date: _________________________

Name and Matric No: _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Declaration by Members of Supervisory Committee

This is to confirm that: the research conducted and the writing of this thesis was under our

supervision; supervision responsibilities as stated in the PUTRA Graduate Studies Rules

(Part 47) are adhered to.

Signature: Signature:

Name of Name of

Chairman of Member of

Supervisory Supervisory

Committee: Committee:

Signature: Signature: Name of Name of

Member of Member of

Supervisory Supervisory

Committee: Committee:

27


Appendix E1 Table of Contents (Layout Style 1)

(Main headings and subheadings are not numbered) ________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vi

APPROVAL viii

DECLARATION ix

LIST OF TABLES x

LIST OF FIGURES xii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xiii

CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

Sub-heading 1 5

Sub-subheading 1 7

Sub-subheading 2 10

Sub-heading 2 15

Sub-heading 3 21

Sub-subheading 1 22

Sub-subheading 2 25

Sub-subheading 3 31

Sub-heading 4 33

3 MATERIALS AND METHODS / 38 METHODOLOGY

Sub-heading 1 (e.g., Materials) 38

Sub-heading 2 (Method 1) 42



Sub-subheading 1 48

Sub-subheading 2 50

Sub-subheading 3 52 Sub-heading 5 (Method 4) 55


Sub-subheading 1 58

Sub-subheading 2 63

28


4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 66

Sub-heading 1 66

Sub-subheading 1 69

Sub-subheading 2 72

Sub-heading 2 75

Sub-subheading 1 76

Sub-subheading 2 81

Sub-subheading 3 88

Sub-heading 3 94

Sub-heading 4 105

5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND 111 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE

RESEARCH

REFERENCES 115

APPENDICES 124

BIODATA OF STUDENT 133

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 135

(Publications that arise from the study, if applicable)

Please note that the Results/Findings and Discussion can be written

as separate chapters.

29



(Main headings and subheadings are numbered) ________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vii

APPROVAL viii

DECLARATION ix

LIST OF TABLES x

LIST OF FIGURES xii


CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION 1


2.1 Sub-heading 1 6

2.1.1 Sub-subheading 1 8


2.2 Sub-heading 2 15






3 MATERIALS AND METHODS / 38 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Sub-heading 1 (e.g., Materials) 38

3.2 Sub-heading 2 (Method 1) 42 3.3 Sub-heading 3 (Method 2) 45

3.4 Sub-heading 4 (Method 3) 47








30


Please note that the Results/Findings and Discussion can be written as

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 66


4.1.1 Sub-subheading 1 69 4.1.2 Sub-subheading 2 72







5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND 111 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE

RESEARCH

REFERENCES 115

APPENDICES 124



(Publications that arise from the study) – if applicable

separate chapters.

31



(Main headings and subheadings are not numbered) ________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ii

ABSTRAK iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vii

APPROVAL viii DECLARATION ix LIST OF TABLES x LIST OF FIGURES xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xiii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1


Sub-heading 1 5

Sub-subheading 1 7 Sub-subheading 2 10 Sub-heading 2 15

Sub-heading 3 21 Sub-subheading 1 22

Sub-subheading 2 25 Sub-subheading 3 31 Sub-heading 4 33

3 TITLE 1 38

Introduction 38 Materials and Methods/Methodology 40

Sub-heading 1 40 Sub-heading 2 43 Sub-heading 3 47

Results and Discussion 52 Conclusion 64

4 TITLE 2 65

Introduction 65 Materials and Methods/Methodology 67

Sub-heading 1 67 Sub-heading 2 70 Sub-heading 3 72

32


Sub-heading 4 76 Results and Discussion 80

Sub-heading 1 81

Sub-heading 2 89

Conclusion 96

5 TITLE 3 97

Introduction 97

Materials and Methods/Methodology 99

Sub-heading 1 99

Sub-heading 2 101

Sub-heading 3 105

Results and Discussion 109

Sub-heading 1 109

Sub-heading 2 115

Sub-heading 3 122

Conclusion 126

6 SUMMARY, GENERAL CONCLUSION AND 127 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE

RESEARCH

REFERENCES 133

APPENDICES 141




Additional chapters may be added, if necessary, before the Summary, General

Conclusion and Recommendations for Future Research section.

33



(Main headings and subheadings are numbered) ________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vii

APPROVAL viii

DECLARATION ix

LIST OF TABLES x

LIST OF FIGURES xii


CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION 1


2.1 Sub-heading 1 5









3 TITLE 1 38 3.1 Introduction 38

3.2 Materials and Methods/Methodology 40

3.2.1 Sub-heading 1 40



3.3 Results and Discussion 52

3.4 Conclusion 64






34



4.3 Results and Discussion 80



4.4 Conclusion 96





5.2.3 Sub-heading 3 105 5.3 Results and Discussion 109




5.4 Conclusion 126

6 SUMMARY, GENERAL CONCLUSION AND 127 RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE

RESEARCH

REFERENCES 133

APPENDICES 141




Additional chapters may be added, if necessary, before the Summary, General

Conclusion and Recommendations for Future Research section. Please note

that the Results/Findings and Discussion can be written as separate chapters.

35


Appendix F1 Layout of a Chapter (where main headings and subheadings are not

numbered) _______________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER NUMBER

TITLE OF CHAPTER

There may be a preamble at the beginning of a chapter. The purpose may be to

introduce the themes of the main headings.

Main heading no. 1 (Primary level, bold and centred)

Subheading no. 1 (Secondary level)

There should be at least two subheadings to justify having subheadings.

Subheading no. 2 (Secondary level)

All first letters of principal words are capitalised and the subheading is typed flush

with the left margin.

Tertiary heading no. 1 (Under Subheading no. 2)

Tertiary level headings are indented five spaces. There should be at least two

tertiary level headings to justify having tertiary level headings.

Tertiary heading no. 2 (Under Subheading no. 2)

Tertiary headings and subsequent headings should not be listed in the Table of

Contents.

36


Appendix F2 Layout of a Chapter (where main headings and subheadings

are numbered) _______________________________________________________________________

_

CHAPTER 2

TITLE OF CHAPTER

There may be a preamble at the beginning of a chapter. The purpose may be to

introduce the themes of the main headings.

2.1 Main heading no. 1 (Primary Level Numbering)

2.1.1 Subheading no. 1 (Secondary level numbering)

There should be at least two subheadings to justify having subheadings.

2.1.2 Subheading no. 2 (Secondary level numbering)

All first letters of principal words are capitalised and the subheading is left justified.

2.1.2.1 Tertiary heading no. 1 (Under Subheading no. 2)

There should be at least two tertiary headings to justify having tertiary headings.

2.1.2.2 Tertiary heading no. 2 (Under Subheading no. 2)

Tertiary and subsequent headings should not be listed in the Table of Contents.

37


Appendix G1 Sample of a Table (without vertical lines)

______________________________________________________________________

__

Table 6 (or Table 3.2). Number of visitors according to participation in different activities

Activity No. of participants NA

(N=96)

Wildlife sighting - 96

Fishing - 96

Photography 92(95.8) 4

Camping - 96

Picnicking 47(49.0) 49

Visiting waterfall 96 (100) -

Sightseeing and nature 84(87.5) 12

observation

Bird watching 4(4.2) 92

Visiting historic sites 50(52.1) 46 Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentage of N NA: Not applicable

38


Appendix G2 Sample of Table (with vertical lines)

________________________________________________________________________

Table 6 (or Table 3.2). Number of visitors according to participation in different activities

Activity No. of participants NA

(N=96)

Wildlife sighting - 96

Fishing - 96

Photography 92 (95.8) 4

Camping - 96

Picnicking 47 (49.0) 49

Visiting waterfall 96 (100) -

Sightseeing and nature 84 (87.5) 12

observation

Bird watching 4( 4.2) 92

Visiting historic sites 50(52.1) 46 Note: Figures in parentheses indicate percentage of N NA: Not applicable

39


Appendix I Samples of Figures

_______________________________________________________________________

_

Figure 1 (or Figure 1.1). The Corporate Governance Framework in Malaysia— The Onion Model (Source: Hashanah Ismail, 2005)

Example of a Graph

Figure 12 (or Figure 4.5). Effect of Boiling on Leaching of Vitamin C from Spinach

40


Example of a Pie Chart

Figure 3 (or Figure 2.2). Number of Postgraduate Students at Putra

Business School by Group.

41


Appendix H1 Examples of Reference Format

________________________________________________________________________

For details on the specific style of a particular discipline, see the reference books

named in each of the examples in Appendix H2. For more general advice, the

following examples will be helpful. The titles of journal articles may be

abbreviated based on convention (e.g.,J. Mol. Biol.) but this style must be

maintained throughout the List of References/ Bibliography.

Journal article

Type 1:

Chan, T.K., Herlina, S. and Ruangsap, B. 1993. Cloning of promoter sequences from Escherichia coli. Journal of Molecular Biology 45: 567-575.

. Type 2:

Chan, T.K., Herlina, S. and Ruangsap, B. (1993). Cloning of promoter sequences

from Escherichia coli. Journal of Molecular Biology 45: 567-575.

Type 3:

Chan, T.K., Herlina, S. and Ruangsap, B. Cloning of promoter sequences from

Escherichia coli. Journal of Molecular Biology 1993; 45: 567-575.

Please note that the Type 1 (above) format is used for the following examples.

Monograph

Turner, H.N., and Young, S.S.Y. 1969. Quantitative Genetics in Sheep Breeding. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Book chapter

Chan, T.K. 1992. Plasmids of enterobacteria. In Pathogenesis of Bacterial Infections,

ed. A. Ramirez, and S. Aquino, pp. 235-243. Kuala Lumpur: Protea Press.

Multiple sources If the student is making a statement and would like to cite several authorities, this

should be arranged in reverse chronological order. Many examiners prefer the

most recent to be first, as in this example:

42


Research has illustrated the emphasis on better understanding of

volatility (Campbell et al., 2001; Duffee, 1995; Cheung and Ng, 1992;

Christie, 1982).

If the student is using a source with more than two authors, he or she should

provide all names in the text the first time, and for all later entries, “et al.” (for

APA, see Appendix J2), “and others” (for MLA), or “and colleagues” (for ASC).

Personal communications Personal communications should be mentioned in the text in the following form:

(Arfah Salleh, Dean of the Graduate School of Management, Universiti Putra

Malaysia, pers. comm. 20 August 2005). Note that email is considered a form of

personal communication and should be so referenced (Aini Ideris, Dean, School

of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, pers. comm. 1 September 2005).

Also note that the professional affiliations of the authors are included.

Internet citation For a journal article viewed in its electronic form:

Van den Bos, G., Knapp, S., and Doe, J. 2001. Role of reference elements in the

selection of resources by undergraduates [Electronic version]. Journal of

Bibliographic Research, 5: 117-123.

For a stand-alone document with no given author and no date:

GVU’s 8th WWW user survey. N.d. Retrieved 20 August 2005 from

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/ gvu/user_surveys/survey-1997-10/

For a university document:

Vice President, 2005. University of Calgary Research Policies and Procedures

Handbook. http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/rpph/rph_misn. html. Retrieved 23

February 2005.

Thesis/Dissertation

Chin, Y. 2004. The Problems with Floating Exchange Rates, PhD Thesis,

Universiti Putra Malaysia.

or

Bledisloe, Y. 2005. Developments in Pre-School Education, 1946-2004,

University of Otago, New Zealand.

43


Reports

Type 1:

Title of report. Date. Controlling organisation, Publisher: Place of Publication.

Water Quality. 2004. Californian Board of Applied Sciences. Extension Services: Los Angeles.

Type 2:

Author, Title of report. Controlling organisation, Publisher: Place of Publication. Date.

Morgan I.A., Prison Reform in Queensland. Society for the Protection of Civil

Liberty. Integrity Press: Brisbane. 2005.

Type 3:

Organisation responsible, Title of report. Publisher. Place of Publication. Date.

World Health Organisation. Energy and Protein Requirements; WHO Technical

Report Series N811: Geneva, 2004.

Secondary citations Use these for emergencies only, as some examiners penalise them ruthlessly. It

is the student’s responsibility to go to the original source, since the person using

the quotation may have left out a “not” or a zero. One leading international

university instructs external examiners to fail or at least ask for a resubmission

from any student who uses more than three secondary quotations. On the rare

occasions when it is impossible to obtain and so use the original, provide the

secondary source in the list of references. Name the original in the text, and cite

the secondary source. For example, if Coastland’s work is cited in Brown et al.,

and you did not read Brown et al., use this format:

In the text:

As Coastland shows (as cited in Brown, Green and Black, 2005)…

In the reference list, provide only the source you used (According to APA; the

order will alter in other styles. See Appendix J2):

Brown, A.B., Green, C.D., Black, L. 2005. New paradigms in communication

research, Association of Business Communication Quarterly, 43: 48-6

44


Appendix H2 Samples of Commonly Used Reference Formats

_____________________________________________________________

I. American Psychological Association (APA) From the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association, (APA) 2010, used in management, the social sciences and

education. For detailed and specific information, refer to the APA Publication

Manual or visit www.apastyle.org.

Book Moore, W. K. (2004). Malaysia: A Pictorial History 1400-2004. Kuala Lumpur:

Archipelago Press.

Book chapter Pratt, D. (1998). The Role of Religion. In M.C. McLaren (Ed.), Interpreting

Cultural Differences (pp. 86-96). Norfolk: Peter Francis Publishers.

Journal article Jones, B. C. (1998). Suggestions for better referencing. Journal of Business

Communication, 289(3): 42-45.

Conference paper presented but not published in proceedings Wilkins F. G. Structure of Compounds. Paper presented at the meeting of the

Canadian Chemical Association, Ontario. June 2005.

Conference paper published in proceedings Schnase, J. L., & Cunnius, E. L. (Eds.). (1995). Proceedings from CSCL ’95:

The First International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative

Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Newspaper and non-scientific magazines article Vick, Karl (2012, December 24). Big Brothers. Time, 180, 20-24.

Report with no named author Air Quality Aspects of the Development of Offshore Oil and Gas Resources (1994).

California Air Resources Board: Sacramento, CA.

Unpublished Thesis/dissertation Wong, T. L. (2005). Changes in Chinese Negotiation Skills. (Unpublished

doctoral dissertation). University of Nottingham, Malaysia.

Article from an Online Periodical with DOI Assigned Yiannis Kouropalatis, Paul Hughes, Robert E. Morgan, (2012) "Pursuing

“flexible commitment” as strategic ambidexterity: An empirical justification

in high technology firms", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46 Iss: 10,

pp.1389 –1417. Doi: 10.1108/03090561211248099 45

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090561211248099


Blog (Weblog) and Video Blog Post S Postaer. (2013, July 1). Clothes to die for: violence against women in

fashion advertising. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://godsof

advertising.wordpress.com/

Sociology Video Blog #5 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.

com/watch?v=lqM90eQi5-N

II. The Chicago Style Sometimes called the Turabian system after an earlier editor, this comes from

The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed., The University of Chicago Press, 2003.

It is used in the arts and humanities and other social science disciplines. The

list of sources is called a “Bibliography” and not “References.” Initials or given

names are used, according to the title page of the source. See The Chicago

Manual of Style Online at

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html for more

information.

Book Doniger, Wendy. Splitting the Difference: Gender and Myth in Ancient Greece and

India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999.

Book chapter Pratt, Douglas. The Role of Religion in Interpreting Cultural Differences ed.

Margaret McLaren. Norfolk, U.K.: Peter Francis Publishers.

Journal article Knight, Hazel. 2004. Plain Language Research in Sri Lanka, Rapport: News about

Plain Language. 13: 4-5.

Conference paper presented but not published in proceedings Nass, Clifford. Why researchers Treat On-line Journals like Real People.

Keynote address, annual meeting of the Council of Science Editors, San

Antonio, TX, May 6-9, 2000.

Conference paper published in proceedings Naharajah, S. Common Carcinogens, In Proceedings of the International

Congress on Carcinogenic Compounds, Perth, Australia, Sept. 3-5, 2005,

ed. Johnson, B. The Scientific Press: Sydney. 2005.

46

http://godsofadvertising.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/clothes-to-die-for-violence-against-women-in-fashion-advertising/http://godsofadvertising.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/clothes-to-die-for-violence-against-women-in-fashion-advertising/http://godsofadvertising.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/clothes-to-die-for-violence-against-women-in-fashion-advertising/


Newspaper and non-scientific magazines article without named author Reuters, Coping with Bomb Blasts. Times (London) June 12, 2005, pp. 3-4.(Note: The

article “The” is dropped if part of the newspaper’s name is in English, but the article

is retained if part of the newspaper’s name is in another language)

Report with no named author California Air Resources Board. Air Quality Aspects of the Development of

Offshore Oil and Gas Resources, Sacramento, CA: CARB, 2004.

PhD dissertation Yoon Chung Sin. Corporate Spin-offs and the Determinants of Stock Price

Changes in Malaysia. PhD Thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia. (Note: The

thesis title is not italicised).

Internet citation Stolberg, S.G, Bid to Absolve Saccharin is rebuffed by US Panel, 2004,

http://www.junkscience.com/news/sac2.html (accessed 2 Aug. 2005).

Blog post Postaer, Steffan. Clothes to die for: violence against women in fashion advertising

(blog). http://godsofadvertising. wordpress.com/.

III. Council of Biology Editors (CBE) From Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Style Manual for Authors, Editors,

and Publishers, 7th ed., 2006. CBE is used primarily in the biological sciences.

Note that for in-text citation, this format does not have a comma (e.g., Voet and

Voet 1990). In the reference list, surnames with either full given names or with

initials can be used. Since some sources give initials only, and a thesis writer

needs to be consistent, it is safest to use initials in the thesis reference list. No

comma is inserted between the surname and the initials. Also, in contrast to

other styles, the book or journal title is not italicised.

Book Voet D.; Voet JG. Biochemistry. New York: J. Wiley; 1990. 1223p.

Book chapter Kuret JA, Murad F. Adenohypophyseal hormones and related substances. In: Gilman

AG, Rall TW, Nies AS, Taylor P, editors. The pharmacological basis of therapeutics.

8th ed. New York: Pergamon; 1990. p. 1334-60. (Note: no indentation)

Journal article Elial EL. Stereochemistry since LeBel and van Hoff: Part II. Chemistry 49 (3):8-

13 (2005).

47

http://godsofadvertising/


Conference paper presented but not published in proceedings Nass, Clifford. Why researchers Treat On-line Journals like Real People.

Keynote address, annual meeting of the Council of Science Editors, San

Antonio, TX, May 6-9, 2000.

Conference paper published in proceedings Kalter RJ. Macro and micro economic implications of bovine somatotropin on the

dairy industry. In BIO EXPO 86: proceedings: 1986 Apr 29-May 1; Stoneham.

MA (Ed.): Butterworth.p.203-15. (Note: Small “p” for “proceedings”)

Newspaper and non-scientific magazines article without named author

[Anonymous] Gene data may help fight colon cancer. Los Angeles Times

1990 Aug 24; Sect A:4. Reuters, Coping with Bomb Blasts. Times (London)

June 12, 2005, pp. 3-4.

Report with no named author California Air Resources Board. Air Quality Aspects of the Development of

Offshore Oil and Gas Resources, Sacramento, CA: CARB. 2004.

Thesis/Dissertation Ritzmann RE. The snapping mechanism of Alpheid shrimp [dissertation].

Charlotteville (VA): University of Virginia; 1974. 59 p. Available from: University

Microfilms, Ann Arbor, MI; AAD74-23.

Internet citation Stolberg SG. Bid to Absolve Saccharin is rebuffed by US Panel, 2004,

http://www.junkscience.com/news/sac2.html Accessed 2005 August 2.

IV. Modern Language Association (MLA) This information comes from the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of

Research Papers, 2009; used primarily by students in languages and literature. The

title of the list of references is “Works Cited.” Notice that authors’ given names are

included. The first author’s name is listed with the surname first, followed by the given

name, but second and subsequent authors have their given names listed before their

surnames. If there is no first author, as with some documents such as reports, the

title of the report (excluding “A”, “An’ and “The”) is used. Publishers’ names are

abbreviated to the first word. The date comes at the end. For further useful information on MLA referencing, see http://www.mla.org/style. Book Okuda, Michael, and Denise Okuda. Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future.

New York: Pocket, 1993. Print.

48


Book chapter Belson, Thomas. “Coping with verb groups in learning English.” Language

Learning Developments. Ed. M. A. Cook. Hong Kong: Prentice-Hall, 2003.

Print.

Journal article Le Boulicaut, Yannick. "Shores in Joseph Conrad's Works." Conradiana 37.3 (2005):

233-44. Print.

Conference paper given but not published in proceedings Langley, Dawn. Global Warming or Global Meltdown? Global Environmental

Summit, May 2008, Zurich, Switzerland. Unpublished conference paper,

2008. Northwestern University Library, Evanston, 2008. Print.

Conference paper published in proceedings Harrison, Jacqueline and Judith Cartwright. “From Ripple to Typhoon: The Next

Wave.” Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the New Zealand

Communication Association, Tauranga, N.Z. 2000. Print.

Newspaper and non-scientific magazines article Brown, John Brian. “When idiom is meaningless.” Time 22 Aug. 2005: 3-4. Print.

Report with no named author Problems for Learners of English as a Second Language, The. Palo Alto Board

of Education Los Angeles, CA, 2005. Print.

Unpublished Thesis/Dissertation Marvell, Andrew. “Seventeenth Century Lyrics.”Diss. Nottingham University,

Kuala Lumpur, 2005. Print.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal Maura Jane Farrelly, “Catholicism in the Early South,” Journal of Southern

Religion 14 (2012): n. pag. Web. 16 Aug. 2013

Blog post Wemple, Eric “Rolling Stone Stands By Controversial Cover.” Eric Wemple:

A Reported Opinion Blog on News Media. The Washington Post,17

July 2013. Web. 18 July 2013

49


V. American Chemical Society (ACS) The ACS Style Guide, 3rd ed., 2006, offers three different types of referencing.

The following examples show the format the ACS Style Guide prefers for theses

in the chemical sciences. The list of references is arranged alphabetically by the

first given word, name or report title, as the case may be. An author writing alone

comes before that author jointly writing with others. If an author has produced

two pieces of research in one year, the one that comes first alphabetically is

labelled “a” (e.g., 2005a), the following “b” and so on. The journal title is

abbreviated. If the abbreviation is not obvious, refer to the The ACS Style Guide, pp. 215-229. For an online version of The ACS Style Guide,

see http://pubs.acs.org/isbn/9780841239999.

Book Shore J.B. Technical Terms in Biotechnology; 3rd ed.; Wiley & Sons: New York. 2004.

Book chapter Thatroff, P.K. Carcinogenic Compounds. In Chemical Carcinogens; 2000. 2nd

ed.; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, pp 49-78. (Note: There

is no full stop after pp—or, for that matter—after p in the ACS style)

Journal article Betteridge, P.W., Carruthers, J.R., Cooper, R.I., Prout K., D.J WatkinJ. Appl.

Cryst., 2003. 36: 1487-1489.

Conference paper given but not published in proceedings Wilkins F.G. Structure of Compounds. Paper presented at the meeting of the

Canadian Chemical Association, Ontario. June 2005.

Conference paper published in proceedings Naharajah, S. Common Carcinogens, In Structures of Carcinogens, Proceedings

of the International Congress on Carcinogenic Compounds, Perth,

Australia, September 3-5, 2005 . Johnson B. Ed.; McGraw-Hill: Sydney.

2005.

Newspaper and non-scientific magazine articles Smith, J.B. Pollution Problems. Time, August 22, 2005, pp 3-4.

Report with no named author Air Quality Aspects of the Development of Offshore Oil and Gas Resources;

California Air Resources Board: Sacramento, CA, 1994.

PhD dissertation Kamaliah Binti Sirat. PhD Thesis. The Reactions of ß-Carotene with Cobalt(II)

Ions: Product Isolation and Characterization, and Kinetic Studies. Universiti

Putra Malaysia, 2004. (Note that the thesis title is not in italics.)

50


Internet citation Stolberg, S.G, 1997, Bid to Absolve Saccharin is rebuffed by US Panel, http://www.

junkscience.com/news/sac2.html (accessed 5 August 2004).

51


RECOMMENDED READING LIST _______________________________________________________________________

There are many books that can help with the writing of a thesis, especially those

listed below. How to get a PhD by Phillips and Pugh (1994) is highly

recommended.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association. (5th ed.). Washington DC: American

Psychological Association.

Coakes, S.J. and Steed, L.G. (2003). SPSS—Analysis without anguish. Brisbane:

Wiley & Sons. Council for Biology Editors, The. (1994). Scientific style and format: The CBE

manual for authors, editors and publishers (6th ed.), Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Dodd, J.C (Ed.) (1997). The ACS Style Guide (2nd ed.). Washington DC:

American Chemical Society. Garson, D.G (2002). Guide to writing empirical papers, theses and dissertations,

New York: Marcel Dekker. Gibaldi, J. and Achtert, W.S. (1996). The MLA handbook for writers of research papers,

theses and dissertations. (4th ed.) New York: Modern Languages Association. McLaren, M.C. (2000). A guide to effective writing. Kuala Lumpur: Prentice Hall. Moore, R.W. (1985). Winning the PhD game. New York: Dodd, Mead. Oliver, P. (2004). Writing your thesis. London: Sage. Phillips, E.M. and Pugh, D.S. (1994). How to get a PhD. Buckingham: Open

University Press. Sternberg, D. (1981). How to complete and survive a doctoral dissertation. New York:

St. Martin’s Press. Tufte, E.D. (2002). The visual display of quantitative information. (2nd ed.)

Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.

University of Chicago (2003). The Chicago manual of style (15th ed.).

Chicago:University of Chicago Press White, B. (2000). Dissertation skills for business and management students. London:

Continuum.

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